Explore Chapter 17 of "牛天赐传" with the original Chinese text, English translation, detailed Chinese vocabulary explanations, and audio of the Chinese original. Listen and improve your reading skills.
Tianci had been knocking about the city for a few years. Although he had not accomplished much, he had picked up quite a few city airs. He considered himself a man of the world and looked down on everything in the countryside. But during summer break, his father suddenly said he would take him to stay in the countryside for a few days, claiming it was to escape the heat. Tianci didn't want to go, but he dared not defy his father's wishes, so he had to go along.
The air in the countryside was truly wonderful. Everywhere was green, and the sky seemed higher. Tianci saw such wide fields for the first time, the crops in the fields were like an ocean. He remembered what Teacher Wang had said about Yantai apples. Although there were no apple trees here, the sorghum and corn were novel to him. His father left him with a countryman named Old Zhang and went into town on business. Tianci stayed at Old Zhang's home. Old Zhang was very polite to him, but his children didn't pay him much attention. They were barefoot, their bodies tanned dark, while Tianci wore foreign-style socks and small leather shoes, looking out of place.
For the first two days, Tianci felt that everything was awkward: no electric lights, no running water, not even a decent toilet. He held it in, refusing to relieve himself, until his stomach ached. Old Zhang's children laughed at him, calling him a "little city master." Tianci was furious, but he dared not fight them. He knew he was no match for them. Later, he could no longer hold it, so he had to follow their example and relieve himself in the open fields. He suddenly felt that this was nothing special, and instead it gave him a sense of freedom.
After a few days, Tianci started playing with Old Zhang's children. They took him to catch grasshoppers, to fish in the river, and to climb trees to pick fruit. Although Tianci's legs were not nimble, he refused to give in and determinedly kept up with them. Once he took a big fall and scraped his knee, but he didn't cry. Old Zhang's children looked at him with new respect, saying, "This kid's not bad." Tianci felt very pleased, thinking he had truly become a man.
In the evening, everyone sat in the yard to cool off, and Old Zhang told them stories. Old Zhang's stories were different from Teacher Wang's. They were all about ghosts and monsters, scaring Tianci so much that he hid among the people. But he loved listening, and the more scared he got, the more he wanted to hear. Old Zhang's children teased him, saying he was a coward. Tianci, anxious, said, "I'm not afraid! Yours are all fake! I've seen real ghosts!" He started making things up, saying that the city was haunted, and once he had seen a female ghost in a white dress crawl out of a well. Everyone listened, completely absorbed, and even Old Zhang believed him. Tianci felt very proud of himself, feeling far superior to the country children.
After living in the countryside for half a month, Tianci had become much darker and stronger. He learned to ride a horse, even if it was only on the back of an ox. He also learned to swim, even if it was only the dog paddle. He no longer disliked the countryside as much; he even grew to like it a little. But in his heart, he still missed his city friends and those newfangled things. When his father came to pick him up, he was somewhat reluctant to leave, yet he longed to return to the city. This conflicting feeling made him feel that he had grown up a lot.